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Sinitta, Cowell’s close friend and ex-girlfriend, said the current run has been the 'worst series ever'.

She told The People: ‘Simon says X
Factor is his first baby. He worries about the show and there is a lot
for him to worry about at the moment.

Spot the difference: Cowell looked slimmer in March, left, but by October was seen on TV looking puffed up

‘He has so much affection for the UK show, he is the boss and he wants to be back on UK TV.

Disappointed: Simon was annoyed to see Ella Henderson axed from the competition

‘The wrong people are going. He finds it frustrating. He doesn’t want the whole thing to fall apart.’

A spokesperson for Simon Cowell said: 'On a series like this, there are good and not-so-good years.
‘Certainly, Simon has been disappointed to lose some of the contestants, including Ella.

'However, The X Factor is a very
unpredictable show and Simon is a great believer in the British public.
There must have been something in her performance last week that did not
chime for whatever reason.

'It is no secret he has missed
working on the UK show and he has not ruled out returning to the show as
a possibility in the future.'

Cowell has always denied having cosmetic surgery, but has been remarkably candid about his Botox use.

He once compared the wrinkle-smoothing injections to brushing his teeth, confessing: ‘Of course I have had it. I mean, for me, it’s like cleaning my teeth, you know? Something makes your teeth whiter or something stops you having lines.’

He added: 'I think you’ve got to be very careful as a guy, in particular, that you can end up looking really, really weird.'